Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Mormon church backs anti-discrimination proposals

A Mormon church official says the faith supports a proposed pair of Salt Lake City ordinances that would make it illegal to discriminate against gays in housing and employment matters.

The director of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints endorsed the legislation during a City Council meeting Tuesday.

If the ordinances are approved, the city would be the first in Utah to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The proposals make it illegal to fire or evict someone for being lesbian, bisexual, gay or transgender.

Church spokesman Michael Otterson says the endorsement is not a shift in the church's position on gay rights.

He says the church continues to oppose gay marriage, but supports LGBT rights that don't infringe on traditional marriage.